As an AI productivity boom now looks probable, we need to prepare for it. Opinions on whether we should be preparing for inflation are shifting. Attitudes to working hours have perhaps changed for good. The complexity and magnitude of changing to clean energy should not be underestimated. Previously unknown and underestimated, new science now confirms that looking after our gut microbiome can change everything.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The gut microbiome is the most important scientific discovery for human healthcare in recent decades” (James Kinross)
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Sara Brown, How to prepare for the AI productivity boom
(MIT Sloan, 12 July 2021)
This piece is based upon the research of Erik Brynjolfsson, a renowned Stanford professor who claims that after years of decline, productivity is poised to accelerate. The last 15 years have brought what he calls the “productivity paradox”: despite continuing advances in technology, productivity has been flagging. However, a productivity boom is now likely to come soon, as advances in technology (particularly AI) are being incorporated into work processes. The next challenge is preparing workers, and making sure benefits aren’t distributed unequally (free access – reads in 7-8 min).
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Ben White, New concern for Biden: Could Larry Summers be right about inflation?
(Politico, 13 July 2021)
Being of the opinion that current US inflation is transitory (up to two years), we thought it important to pay attention to a cogent and influential contrarian voice. This article helps understand the current debate between the White House economists and Larry Summers (who is concerned about inflationary risks). He says: “This raises my degree of concern about an economic overheating scenario. There are huge uncertainties in the outlook, but I do believe the focus of concern right now should be on overheating”. Read on! (free access – reads in 6-7 min).
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Anna North, The five-day workweek is dead
(VOX, 13 July 2021)
The pandemic provided the opportunity and the inclination to re-evaluate our relationship to work with many people now ready to reclaim more time for themselves. As this article states: “there’s nothing inevitable about working eight hours a day, five days a week (or more)”. Hence, the idea of working less (like 4 days a week) is gaining traction, propelled by a recent study of shorter weekdays in Iceland that was a big success: not only it boosted worker wellbeing but even increased productivity. The take-away: the pandemic could be paving the way for a new workweek revolution (free access – reads in 6-7 min).
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Andrew Freedman, Climate solutions could cause their own problems
(Axios, 15 July 2021)
This article makes an obvious yet critical point: speeding up the transition to clean tech entails many potential environmental, human rights, and geopolitical risks. As one expert puts it: “decarbonizing our economy will not be small and beautiful; replacing all of our fossil fuel infrastructure with clean energy will be big and messy” (free access – reads in 3-4 min).
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Rebecca Seal, Unlocking the ‘gut microbiome’ – and its massive significance to our health
(The Guardian, 11 July 2021)
Scientists are only just discovering the enormous impact of our gut health – and how it could hold the key to everything from tackling obesity to overcoming anxiety and boosting immunity. According to one scientist: “The gut microbiome is the most important scientific discovery for human healthcare in recent decades”, adding: “We don’t really know how it works.” In the words of Tim Spector, an epidemiologist who specializes in the microbiome: “It’s a vital organ in your body and you need to look after it. If you do that, it will look after you”. Read the tips at the end (free access – reads in about 10 min).
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